Reaction to politically motivated actions to seize the Independent Media Commission (IMC)

Shpërndaje në:

Prishtina, January 17, 2025

Through this reaction, we strongly condemn the politically motivated actions to interfere with the independence of state institutions, namely the dangerous and illegal initiatives aimed at changing the leadership structures of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) before the end of their legal mandates, through amendments to the current Rules of Procedure of the IMC.

During today’s meeting of the IMC, the members of this institution illegally approved the amendment to the Rules of Procedure, enabling the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the IMC within one month before the end of their legal mandates. This act was undertaken without going through the public consultation process, thus violating Article 8 of the Law on the Independent Media Commission, which requires citizen involvement in the amendments to the by-laws.

After amending this regulation, the members of the IMC changed the current leadership structures of the IMC, in violation of legal procedures, creating a dangerous precedent aimed at political capture of independent institutions, violating the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law.

Furthermore, the Assembly of Kosovo failed to elect the members of the IMC Board in a timely manner before the start of the election campaign, leaving this board incomplete and hindering the normal functioning of this institution in this critical period. Such delays have directly impacted the efficient functioning of the IMC, and consequently, it has become difficult to supervise the media and maintain a fair and impartial media climate during this important political period.

The IMC, as an independent body, has the mission of ensuring a fair, open and equitable system for regulating media services, guaranteeing accurate and impartial information to citizens. Attempts to instrumentalize this institution in the service of political interests seriously undermine its independence and place it under direct political control, jeopardizing its oversight and transparency role.

These actions represent a clear attempt to “capture” one of the main pillars of a functioning democracy – free and independent media. Any attempt to politicize the IMC is an attack not only on this institution, but also on the right of citizens to be informed freely and impartially. This violates freedom of expression and creates an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship in the media sector, seriously damaging public trust in the integrity of the media and in democratic processes.

Preserving media freedom is one of the main pillars of democracy, and any attempt to weaken it should be treated as a serious threat to the country’s very democratic future.